Apparatus for filling a carton with glass jars or the like

ABSTRACT

A method and apparatus for providing a filling of a carton with glass jars wherein for each row of the filling the jars are supplied in two contiguous rows with a strip of cardboard placed vertically between them, the first jars of said rows being alternately pushed transversely to form a single row, said strip assuming a corrugated form around the jars, and a front portion of said single row together with the corresponding portions of the other single rows formed being pushed into a carton open at the side.

United States Patent Inventor Hermanus N. Bavinck Breda, NetherlandsAppl. No. 791,293 Filed Jan. 15, I969 Patented June 29,1971 Assignee N.V. Machineiabriek Breda voorheen Backer & Rueb Breda NetherlandsPriority Jan. 15,1968

Netherlands 6800592 APPARATUS FOR FILLING A CARTON WITH GLASS JARS ORTHE LIKE 5 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs. U.S. Cl 53/128, 53/157,53/159 Int. ClB65b 35/54, B655 61/00 Field of Search 53/128, I57, 159

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,254,097 8/1941 Wood 53/1572,384,494 9/1945 Schutter 1. 53/157 X 2,556,188 6/1951 Jakob l 53/1573,350,836 11/1967 Dillon et al. 1. 53/128 X Primary ExaminerTheron E,Condon Assistant Examiner-Robert L, Spruill Attorney-Waters, Roditi,Schwartz & Nissen PATENTED M29 191: 35891 01 APPARATUS FOR FILLING ACARTON WITH GLASS JARS OR THE LIKE This invention relates to a method offilling a carton with glassjars or the like, the latter being separatedin the carton by a protective intermediate layer of cardboard or thelike. In the prior art methods, the cartons are provided with a latticepartitioning of cardboard strips and the jars are then placed in thelattice openings from the top. if the size of the jars is not too small,automatic filling can be carried out, the jars falling into the carton.In some cases this may cause difficulty since breakage may occur and thelabels may be damaged. The object of the invention is to provide amethod which can be carried out fully automatically and whichpractically eliminates any risk of damage to the jars and labels. Theinvention also provides economies in the amount of packaging material.

According to the invention, for each row of filling that the carton isrequired to' contain the jars are supplied in two contiguous adjacentclosed rows with a strip of cardboard or the like placed on edge betweenthe rows, the jars at the front end of the rows are alternately pushedtowards one another transversely from each row to form a single row, thestrip of cardboard assuming a corrugated form around the jars, a portionequivalent to the length of the required filling is separated from thesaid single row by cutting the strip of cardboard, the said portion ofthe row together with the corresponding portions of the other singlerows formed is pushed horizontally into a carton open at the side, andthe carton is then closed at said side. During the formation of thesingle rows, the protective strips are automatically applied in thecorrect way so that it is not longer necessary for the protective stripsto be placed in the carton manually beforehand. The jars are now pushedinto a carton, the protective strips already being situated between thejars. In such conditions there is no risk of any damage to the jars orlabels. Since the cartons are filled at the side edge, the cartonopening can be small so that the flaps can also be smaller and lesscardboard is required. The amount of protective material can also bereduced in comparison with a lattice partitioning. The invention alsorelates to apparatus for filling the carton with glass jars or the likein the manner described hereinbefore. According to the invention, meansare provided for supplying the jars and guides for arranging the jars inadjacent rows, the number of guides being equal to twice the number ofrows in the filling, means are provided to receive reels of the stripsof cardboard and for guiding such strips from the reels between each twoadjacent rows of jars, the guides for two adjacent rows are followed bya distributing system which can alternately pass ajar from one row andajar from the other row, and each distributing system is followed by aguide having an inlet portion for a single row so as to arrange the jarsthat have passed through into a single row, said guide leading on to amovable table which is provided with lowerable guides and at the rear ofwhich there is a stop for the jars and at the front of which there is acutting device extending transversely of the guides to cut the strips ofcardboard, and an element is provided for pushing a filling off thetable into a carton situated next to the table. With apparatus of thiskind, the various operations can readily be synchronized and be carriedout completely automatically in succession. For example, the jars can besupplied by means of a conveyor belt or a roller table which operatescontinuously, so that the jars simply have to be stopped and move onagain directly as soon as they are released. When the element forpushing the filling off the table is actuated, the distributing systemscan be blocked so as to stop the supply of jars. The cardboard strip isautomatically driven by the jars so that it requires on separate drive.

According to the invention, the table can perform a rocking movementcomposed of two translatory movements, namely one in the direction ofthe guides for the jars and one in a direction perpendicularly thereto,so that the strips of cardboard which join the jars on the table and thefirst jars in front of the cutting device are unreeled to some extentunder tension. As a result, space is formed between the jars to allowthe passage of the cutting device blade, and at the same time thecardboard strips are kept under tension so that they can readily be cut.

According to the invention, the guides on the table can disappearbeneath the top surface thereof during the rocking of the table. Thejars are then in the correct position with respect to one another on thetable so that the guides are no longer required. By coupling the guideswith the actuating elements for rocking the table it is an easy matterto ensure that the said guides are rendered inoperative at the correcttime.

According to the invention, a bridge-shaped pusher can extendtransversely over the rows of jars in front of the cutting device, meansbeing provided for pressing the bridge member downwards in order toretain the jars situated in front of the cutting device.

This increases the reliability that the rows of jars cannot move furtheron, but in addition the jars are completely fixed during the cuttingofthe strips ofcardboard.

In one advantageous embodiment of the invention, each distributingsystem can consist of at least two adjacent discs which are coupledtogether and between which a small opening is left free and which eachhave a number of recesses into which ajar fits, and as a recess in onedisc passes the other disc it is situated opposite the center ofaportion of said other disc situated between two recesses. Since a smallopening remains between the discs, the strip of cardboard can passthrough without obstruction. Under the pressure of thejars supplied, ajar of one row automatically comes into the correct position in a recessdirected towards said row. A portion without recesses is then directedtowards the other row. As soon as the jar of one row has passed, thefirst jar of the other row assumes a position in a recess of the otherdisc, so that ajar from one row and ajar from the other row arealternately passed automati-- cally.

The invention also relates to a carton containing glass jars or the likefilled in the manner described hereinbefore.

According to the invention, the carton has a side closure, the axis ofthe jars is parallel to the plane of the side closure and a strip ofcardboard is wound in corrugated form around the jars in each rowextending in parallel to the said plane of the side closure.

The invention will be explained in detail hereinafter with reference toan exemplified embodiment and the drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of an apparatus according tothe invention;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic view of a carton with a filling situated nextto it and applied in the manner set forth in the application;

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic plane view of a distributing system during thewinding of the strip of cardboard in corrugated form around the jars.

The apparatus according to the invention consists of a frame 1 in whicha conveyor belt 2 is mounted and extends over the entire width. Abovethe conveyor belt are guide bars 3, 4, 4', 5, 6, 6, 7, 8, 8', and 9. Theouter guide bars 3 and 9 adjoin transversely extending guide bars 10 and11 forming part of a frame 12 in which a conveyor belt 13 is mountedwhich extends transversely of conveyor belt 2. The frame 14, of whichonly half is shown, bears a reel 16 containing a strip of cardboard 17,said reel being mounted on a shaft 15. The strip 17 is fed via a guideplate 18 and a guide roller 19 above the guide bars 4, 4 to the rear.

The guide bars 3 and 4, and 4' and! 5 respectively are followed bydistributing device 20 (FIG. 3). The latter consists of two discs 22 and23 on a spindle 21, and two discs 25 and 26 on a spindle 24. The discs22 and 23 have recesses 27 situated one above the other, while the discs25 and 26 have recesses 28 situated one above the other. The spindles 21and 24 are coupled together so that when the discs rotate a recess 27 onpassing the associated disc 25, for example, is situated just oppositethe center of the portion of the said disc situated between two recesses28. Between the discs 22 and 23 on the one hand and the discs 25 and 26on the other hand there is a small opening through which the edgewisestrip 17 can pass. The guides limited by the guide bars 5, 6, 6 and 7are followed by an equivalent distributing system comprising discs 29and 30, while the guide system formed by the guide bars, 7, 8, 8 and 9is followed by a distributing system comprising discs 31 and 32.

The distributing systems are followed by guide bars 33, 34, 35 and 36which bound three guides, one of which follows each distributing system.These latter guides lead on to a movable table 37 provided with guidestrips adjoining guide bars 33, 34, 35 and 36. In front of the table isa framework 38 in which a cutting device 39 can move up and down. Thecutting device is driven by a cylinder 40. The pneumatic cylinder 41 isalso secured on the frame 38 and can actuate a pusher 42 extendingtransversely of the guides. The pusher 42 can be moved up and down bymeans of the cylinder 41.

The apparatus operates as follows. The jars 43 which have to be packedare supplied by means of the conveyor belt 13. For the sake of clarity,the drawing shows only a limited number of jars. The jars 43 driven bythe conveyor belt 13 meet the guide bar 9 and are pressed by thefollowing jars on to the conveyor belt 2 whereupon they are driven bythe latter. When the supply ofjars 43 is sufficient, the six guidesbounded by the bars 3, 4, 4, 5, 6, 6, 7, 8, 8' and 9 become completelyfilled with jars 43.

Between each two guides followed by a single distributing device 21-24,29, and 31, 32 there are strips of cardboard 17 and 44 and 45respectively. The strips 44, 45 are supplied from reels (not shown) inthe same way as described for strip 17. The distributing systemsalternately pass a jar from each row, the jars that have been passedbeing arranged in a single row. Jars 46, for example, assume a positionbetween the guide bars and 36. In these conditions the strip ofcardboard automatically assumes a corrugated position around the jars46. The strips of cardboard are also driven automatically by the jars asthe latter are pushed forward, so that the reels 16 need not be driven.

As soon as the jars 46 in the drawing abut a stop at rear of the table37, then the table contains the required number of jars and the supplyis automatically stopped. The bridge member 42 is pressed down by meansof the pneumatic cylinder 41, so that the jars situated beneath thismember are held fast. The table 37 now performs a rocking movement inthe direction of the rows ofjars and to the side. In these conditionsthe strips of cardboard I7, 44 and 45 behind the jars 46 and beneath themember 42 are slightly unwound from the jars and some space becomes freebehind these jars. The blade of the cutting device 33, which is actuatedby the pneumatic cylinder, then cuts through the strips of cardboard.When the table 37 performs the rocking movement, the guide strips forthejars disappear beneath the surface of the table 37.

The table is then followed by a fixed guide track 47. A pneumaticallyoperated pusher element pushes thejars laterally off the table 37 into acarton 48 which stands ready. The carton 48 is then closed in a mannernot shown in detail.

As will be apparent from FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 the jars 46 are separatedfrom one another by the strips of cardboard I7, 44, 45 which are placedaround thejars in a corrugated form.

What lclaim is:

1. Apparatus for filling a carton with glass jars or the like comprisingfeed means for supplying jars and guide means for receiving thejars fromthe feed means for arranging the jars in adjacent rows, said guide meansincluding a plurality of guides in a number so as to provide two guidesfor each row, means for supporting reels of strips of cardboard and forguiding such strips from the reels between two adjacent rows of jars,distributing means following the guides of two adjacent rows foralternately passing ajar from one row and ajar from the other row, asecond guide following each distributing means and having an inletportion for a single row to arrange t hel ars that have passed throughthe distributing means into a sing e row, a

movable table following the second guides and including lowerable thirdguides with respective front and rear portions, a stop for the jars atsaid rear portions, cutting means at said front portions extendingtransversely of said third guides to cut the strips of cardboard, andmeans for pushing the jars off the table into a carton situated next tothe table.

2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the table can perform arocking movement composed of two translatory movements, one in thedirection of the third guides and one in a direction perpendicularlythereto, so that the strips of cardboard which pass between the jars onthe table and the first jars in front of the cutting device are unreeledto some extent under tension.

3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein during the rocking of thetable, the third guides on the table disappear beneath the top surfacethereof.

4. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 comprising a bridgeshaped pusherextending transversely over the rows ofjars in front of the cuttingmeans, and means for pressing the bridge member downwards in order toretain thejars situated in front of the cutting means.

5. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein each distributing meanscomprises at least two adjacent discs which are coupled together andbetween which a small opening is left free and which each have a numberof recesses into which ajar fits, and as a recess in one disc passes theother disc it is situated opposite the center of a portion of said otherdisc situated between two recesses.

1. Apparatus for filling a carton with glass jars or the like comprisingfeed means for supplying jars and guide means for receiving the jarsfrom the feed means for arranging the jars in adjacent rows, said guidemeans including a plurality of guides in a number so as to provide twoguides for each row, means for supporting reels of strips of cardboardand for guiding such strips from the reels between two adjacent rows ofjars, distributing means following the guides of two adjacent rows foralternately passing a jar from one row and a jar from the other row, asecond guide following each distributing means and having an inletportion for a single row to arrange the jars that have passed throughthe distributing means into a single row, a movable table following thesecond guides and including lowerable third guides with respective frontand rear portions, a stop for the jars at said rear portions, cuttingmeans at said front portions extending transversely of said third guidesto cut the strips of cardboard, and means for pushing the jars off thetable into a carton situated next to the table.
 2. Apparatus as setforth in claim 1 wherein the table can perform a rocking movementcomposed of two translatory movements, one in the direction of the thirdguides and one in a direction perpendicularly thereto, so that thestrips of cardboard which pass between the jars on the table and thefirst jars in front of the cutting device are unreeled to some extentunder tension.
 3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein during therocking of the table, the third guides on the table disappear beneaththe top surface thereof.
 4. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 comprisinga bridge-shaped pusher extending transversely over the rows of jars infront of the cutting means, and means for pressing the bridge memberdownwards in order to retain the jars situated in front of the cuttingmeans.
 5. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein each distributingmeans comprises at least two adjacent discs which are coupled togetherand between which a small opening is left free and which each have anumber of recesses into which a jar fits, and as a recess in one discpasses the other disc it is situated opposite the center of a portion ofsaid other disc situated between two recesses.